Page 1 of 109 The Qur’aniyūn of the twentieth century By Abū Ruquyah Farasat Latif This article is based upon an MA dissertation submitted in September 2006 to Loughborough University. A number of amendents, additions and deletions have have been made by the author. These include deleting the chapter on research methodology, adding a section on ‘pre- Islamic writing tradition’, adding additional footnotes and adding two appendices.
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Page 1 of 109
The Qur’aniyūn of the twentieth century
By
Abū Ruquyah Farasat Latif
This article is based upon an MA dissertation submitted in September 2006 to
Loughborough University. A number of amendents, additions and deletions have
have been made by the author. These include deleting the chapter on research
methodology, adding a section on ‘pre- Islamic writing tradition’, adding
additional footnotes and adding two appendices.
Page 2 of 109
Table of Contents:
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Background to Authors
Chapter Three: u ‘ aq - -h a h’
Chapter Four: u ‘ a h a - valua ’
Chapter Five: u ‘ u ’ a h a la ’
Chapter Six: Summary of Key Themes
Chapter Seven: Examination of the Key Themes.
7.1 Sole function h P ph wa l v h u ’
xpla h u ’
7.2 is not (unrecited) revelation
7.3 Hikmah” a Su a
7.4 V a g ha “ h g l u ” h u ’
7.5 All religious practices are from Abraham
7.6 No methodology for preservation of and
Recording of prohibited by the Prophet
7.7 Bu g w by Abū Bak a ‘U a ( ay
Allah be pleased with them)
7.8 N p v u b Bukh
7.9 The huge numbers of h a Bukh a untenable
7.10 Bukh h aj y h 600 000
7.11 Huge number of fabrications made it impossible to sift out
the authentic
Isnā system a later invention.
7.12 F ll w “Allah a g ” a “ ll w Allah a
h Cal ph” “ab by h h al
au h y”
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Chapter Eight: Conclusion.
Appendix One: Preservation of hadith from the time of the
ab ’ u l h aa Bukha .
Appendix Two: The Compilations of the First Century
List of Tables:
Chapter Six: Table One: Key Themes One.
Table Two: Key Themes Two.
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Chapter One
Introduction
1.0 Introduction
Until very recently, the concept of the sunna, and its legal authority was never
questioned. However, the twentieth century witnessed a number of individuals
a g up wh u h gu ‘ u g h u ’a ’ hav j
totality, the legal authority of the sunna. This study will examine the works of
three individuals and their supporters; Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Rashad Khalifa,
and Kassim Ahmad. All three have written a book solely on the issue of .
Th v w w ll b xa l gh h u ’a and historical facts.
F h ak b v y w ll u h ‘ u ’a yū ’ h v w
the above three mentioned individuals and their supporters. They are also known
as ahl- u ’ u a Sub a inkār-e- .
1.1 Aims of the Study
By xa g h a gu h u ’a yū h a h w ll h w ha h
views on the concept, status, and history of are seriously flawed, and
a b h h u ’a a h al a . w ll a ha a
sophisticated methodology existed for the preservation, compilation, and
verification of . w ll al a ha h u ’a l a ly g v
indication to the concept of the Sunna and obligates the Muslim to follow the
. By logical necessity, the will have been preserved; otherwise the
verses pertaining to the obligation of following the would be irrelevant and
illogical.
1.2 Methodology of the Study
The research will critically examine three books, each written by a different
author from th u ’a yū . F a h b k h a h w ll xa h
arguments as a whole for internal consistency and will highlight any
contradictions, overgeneralisations, arbitrary and selective use of source material,
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as well a “u wa a a u p ake of facts, and misinterpretation of
h a g x qu ”.
F ll w g h h x h u ’a yū w ll b u a
general themes. A general theory of and sunna, as understood by the
u ’a yū w ll g . Th heory will be tested for its validity by examining it
in the light of mainstream discourse and historical fact.
1.3 Research Question
Based upon the above, my research question is:
In the twentieth century, a number of individuals from within the Muslim
community rejected the legal authority of the Prophetic Sunna.
Give a brief background to the key proponents of the above view?
Examine their books for internal consistency.
Critically examine the main arguments that they use to reject the legal
authority of the Sunna.
1.4 The Rationale of and Motivation for the Research
In terms of authority, the qual ha h u ’a . A al h
authority of has dire consequences for a Muslim. Without recourse to the
, a Muslim would be ignorant of the details of his creed, and be unable to
perform the various acts of worship that have been legislated for him. In short,
without the , the very edifice of Islam would be destroyed.
1.5 Referencing
To find the reference, for example for (Hamidullah 2003:7), we go to the
bibliography, and look for Hamidullah. There are three entries for Hamidullah,
however we are looking for Hamidullah 2003. Hence the book is:
a ullah uh a a . ( 00 . An Introduction to the Conservat n n
n n . (Third Edition). Kuala Lumpa:
Islamic Book Trust – and our reference will be found on page seven.
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Chapter 2
Background to Authors
2.1 Ghulam Ahmed Parwez
Ghulam Ahmed Parwez was born in 1903 in the Indian state of Punjab. His early
Islamic studies were under his grandfather who was a well known Sufi mystic. He
graduated from Punjab University in 1934 after which he worked as a civil servant
in India, and then following the partition, in Pakistan (Draz)
In 1938, Parwez began publishing a journal called T l ’l Isl 1 (the Dawn of
Islam). in Delhi, and following a six year break was resumed in Karachi in 1948.
In 1957 he was appointed as a member of the Islamic Law Commission, but this
appointment only lasted one year (McDonough, 1970:35).
His views on resulted in a fatwa, signed by over a thousand religious
scholars, declaring him to be an apostate. (Ahmad, 1967: 233) He died in 1986
having authored over sixty books in Urdu including qā -e- .
Dr as-Saleh as- Sal h a ha a Pa w z’ T l ’l Isl movement,
h h u ’a yū g up p a Pak a . They are: U ā sl ūn l
kr w ’l Q r’ān, U ā sl ūn, and T r q T r Insān. The ideological
impetus for all four groups can be traced back to the works of Sayyid Ahmed
Khan (1817 -98), known as the founder of the modernist movement in the
Subcontinent. ubj h u ’ a ‘ a al ’ ul g
in a metaphorical interpretation of the many of the tenants of the Muslim belief.
Khan held that it was not obligatory to follow a legal ruling from the .
Ch agh ‘Al 2 further developed the view of his teacher Khan, holding that almost
the entire body of was inauthentic (Ahmad, 1967: 59-60). As- Saleh states
that Chakrawalvi,3 wh wa lu by ‘Al a Kha wa h p
1 Tulu’l Islam is also the name of his organisation.
2 Born in 1844, he believed that the Qur’ān was the word of Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa sallam)
He rejected a and ijmā as binding sources of law and stated that the Qur’ān was to be
reinterpreted in light of new circumstances (Ahmad, 1967: 57-60) Both Khan and Chiragh ‘Alī were
patronised by the British in India. 3 Chakrawalvi founded A l T ikr wa’l Qur’ān movement. He died in 1914
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the Indian sub continent to completely reject . He was a major influence on
Parwez, who held him in high esteem.
A well organised and highly educated modernist movement in India, which was
heavily supported by the British colonialists, sowed h Pa w z’
thought. The success of modernist movement in the sub continent amongst
sections of the intelligentsia made Pa w z’ v w all h pala abl 4.
2.2 Rashad Khalifa
The Wikipedia online encyclopaedia states that Rashad Khalifa was an Egyptian
chemist born in 1935. He moved to the United States in 1959 where he later
obtained his PhD in biochemistry. In 1974 he claimed that he had discovered the
a h a al a l h u ’ ba up h u b . Th la
number is mentioned in ūr Muddaththir5. To Khalifa, the unique mathematical
p h u ’ wa p ha h u ’ wa he word of God. A
number of books were produced on his theory which was initially well received
throughout the Muslim world. However his subsequent claim that he was the
messenger of God led Muslims from various denominations to reject him as a
heretic. In 1989 h publ h h h u ’ . Th
not include the last two verses of ūr Tawbah, as according to Khalifa, they
were added later, and did not fit in with the numerical pattern of the Qu ’ . In
2001, he wrote his book, “Q r’ān, n Isl ” wh h h j h
concept of and sunna. In January 1990, Khalifa was killed in his local
mosque in Tucson, Arizona. The assassination was blamed on a Pakistani Islamist
group, al-F qr ’.
Khalifa stands apart fro a y h u ’a yū g up u : h la
P ph h h j ay h u ’ a h al y h
u al h u ’ h ph l phy. ll w wh hav v
into a number of groups since his death, choose not to call themselves Muslims
p g h p ‘Sub ’. v la v ly u k w
outside America, and has attracted many American converts. Unlike Parwez,
4 This is in contrast to the Qur’aniyūn movement in the Arab world, which was poorly organised, and
in some countries, suppressed by the governments 5 Sūra Mu a ir 74:29
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Khal a’ wa gly lu by h h k al h ugh h xation with
‘ ’ ay hav h Baha a h6 (Phillips, 1987: 3).
2.3 Kassim Ahmad
Kassim Ahmad was born in 1933 in Keddah, Malaysia. After finishing his
schooling, he joined the Malaysian Socialist Party and was to later become its
head. His political activity led to a five year jail sentence. In 1985 he was
awarded the honorary Doctorate of Letters by the National University of Malaysia,
as well as the Poetry Award of the Malaysian National Writers Association in 1987.
His publication “ a h A R - valua ” 1986 au v y
Malaysia. The book was banned a few months after it publication and Ahmad was
declared an apostate by some Malaysian scholars. Ahmad has written on a variety
of topics; political theory, philosophy, religion, and literature
Ah a wa gly lu by Khal a’ v w . I believe that his
socialist background and modernist outlook influenced his views on . His
a ha “ h are sectarian, anti-science, anti-reason and anti-
w ” ha h hall a k a l w g7 modernist.
Parwez, unlike Kassim Ahmad was strongly critical of all Western ideologies,
including socialism. Rasheed Khalifa and Parwez both established organisations to
promote their views on , something Ahmad never did. Ahmad and Khalifa
achieved prominence before their anti- stance8 al h ugh Khal a’ a
on came very quickly after his rise to fame. Parwez on the other hand
achieved notoriety due to his stance on . In terms of numbers of followers,
Parwez is the most successful. Dr Saleh estimates his followers to be in the tens
of thousands.
6 “The Bahai calendar has 19 months consisting of 19 days each, and 19 can be found in all Bahai
premises written on walls and even embossed on chairs” (Phillips, 1987: 3). 7 He states in ‘ a , A Re-evaluation’ that Marxist books should be examined in light of the Qur’ān
and the needs of modern life. (1997). 8 Through Ahmad’s political activity, and Khalifa’s ‘numerical miracle’
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Chapter 3
e on tru tion of a -e-h a th’
3.0 Methodology
Chapters three to five will examine the three books of th u ’a yū al
consistency. Each chapter will give a brief introduction to the book and describe
the intended audience. The research will also highlight contradictions, historical
a u a a la a p a u ’ verses,
inconsistencies, and incorrect analogies.
The theoretical framework used by all three authors is epistemological, historical
and political. It is epistemological as the explicit aim of all three books is to
redefine the sources of Islam to the Qur’ al . h al a h h
books discuss the historical development of 9. There are strong political
overtones throughout all three books. The authors lament at the backwardness of
the Ummah and conclude that rejection of is a pre-requisite for the revival
of Islam. The key concepts used in the book are , sunna, and the role of
the Messenger.
3.1 Intro u tion to a -e.
The English translation of this book by Ghulam Ahmed Parvez was downloaded
from the toluislam web site in August 2005. The web site gives no details of the
date of translation, or the date that the book was written. So far, nine chapters of
the book, totalling 54,643 words have been uploaded onto their web site. Over
half the (uploaded) book discusses the concept and history of and sunna.
Chap ’ u v u a u b from Sunni and ’ sources
wh h h au h b l v a h u ’ . Th lu h
regarding temporary marriage (chapter five), intercession, and the types of
people who will enter jannah ( hap x . Chap gh u p v ha
Abū a a ly despite his ability to access them. Chapter nine
u h h y h p la h u ’ u g h a al
9 Although in the case of Rashad Khalifa, this is limited to a few paragraphs.
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Muslim theory. I will only examine the first three chapters of this book as they are
pertinent to the research question.
The translation is poor containing many spelling mistakes and the language used
a a ha . Exa pl h la lu ‘E ’ (n.d.a)10
‘ r n nc ’ (n.d.c) and ‘ ns n ’ (n.d.b). Spelling mistakes include:
Munabbah spelt Mamaba (n.d.a) w ’ p l ‘ u a’ ( . .a a hahab
spelt Zuhby (n.d.a).
The intended audience is Muslims students and intelligentsia, particularly those
from Pakistan. There are frequent and extensive quotes from the statements of
aw ū ( a ly 000 w qu hap a qb l.
3.2 General Comments
There is no contents page or introduction. The book is difficult to read as
discussions are very long winded, there is no logical flow of text, and the author
often digresses from the topic. Also the sub- headings are often very vague and
often unrelated to the issue being discussed. The author has numerous
arguments which he wishes to postulate against : however he fails to lay
out his argument coherently, often making several different, unrelated points in
one discussion. For example in trying to prove that the cannot be
a bu h P ph h au h al u Bukh ’ pa ag g
remarks regarding those who hold ān to be constant, contradiction between the
of sunnis and s ’ s, the criticism of the content of a aw ū ’
opinion of some of the Bukh ( . .b. .
3.3 Contradictions
The book contains a number of contradictions.
3.3.1 The author repeatedly argues that:
i. None of the that have reached us today are authentic. He
says regarding the k s “ a gl w [ h b k ]
ul b gua a ha b l g h g …Th w
10
(n.d.) followed by ‘a’,‘b’,’c’,or ‘d’ refers to the four internet reference of Parwez’s undated book.
Page 11 of 109
h ga bl w p v u u ” ( . .a. a “Th
b k ha a p ay a h g al ay g
h uh a a PBU ( ” ( . .b .
ii. He also states that cannot be considered part of the n
(n.d.b).
iii. u h la ha “ h h p bl ” (chapter
one, part three, 4).
The above three postulations are contradicted in his discussion of the re-
abl h “ h Cal pha G ’ y ” ( . . . . v l p g a l gal
system, he suggests that:
“Th g v u al ak a va ag om the treasure that
has come to us through the ages, find in them those laws that synchronize
with Quran's teachings and fulfil our requirements also, thus making them
a pa h u ” ( . . .
If the are not part of the n, none of books that are present today
contain the original sayings of the Messenger, and the very act of recording
opposed the command of the Messenger, then one can only conclude that
the in our possession today have no religious value. Hence, to use the
“ a u ” v g la law wh l pa ag g h au h y a
validity is a contradiction.
Secondly, Parwez does not state the methodology to be used in deciding if a
“ y h ” w h u ’ v .
3.3.2. Parwez argues that he does not reject the concept of , he only
rejects their reliability.
“… ab lu ly ay 'wha w b l v ...' Noone
(sic) is denying the deeds or words of the Messenger. books are available
from every where. (n.d.b).
Again, this statement contradicts the above three postulations (in 4.3.1i to iii).
3.3.3. Parwez discusses the a b u abb h a g “ ha h
manuscript was compiled before hijrah 8” (n.d.a). He affirms that this
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manuscript is extant. On the same page he contradicts himself by stating that
“ h p la ha p ay b l g a l k”
(n.d.a) and hence not the a b u abb h.
3.3.4. About the k s , Parwez states that no Arab had ever done what
they did (by collecting the a ha “ h w w
b h ll ( . .a . w v b h l k a b u abb h
were Arabs, and both their written collections existed before the k s .
3.4 Inconsistencies
3.4.1. Parwez rejects the probity of a g ha “ h p ua
… w a p v h v y a y ”( . .b . Y a ha
were not written in the time of the Messenger, he uses a number of
lu g: “ hav a y h g l a av h u ’ .
a y y u ha w a y w h ha h u ’ a !” ( . .a .
Here lies the inconsistency. Parwez is using , whose veracity (according to
him) cannot be verified, to reject the concept of . I would liken this to the
xa pl a a h wh u h u ’ h a p p v h -
existence of God.
Secondly, his use of a in his discussion of the recording of , is
arbitrary and selective, as he only uses the that support his hypotheses.
He ignores the many that allow the writing of .
3.4. 2. Parwez argues that the first were written so long after the alleged
events (of the Prophet) occurred, that it was impossible to vouch for their
authenticity.
“… h w p v u ha h y [au h h k s ]
could have borrowed the material for their collection …h w a a y
v u h h k ah a h ba h a ay… a gl w ul
b gua a ha b l g h g ” ( . .a. .
Hence the existence of written records at the time (or close to the time of) the
incident is key to provi g ha h a ually u . ‘h a ay’
sufficient. However Parwez does not apply the same criteria to the recording of
history, in particular the history of the rightly guided caliphs. He freely quotes
Page 13 of 109
incidents from the Caliphate of Abū Bak a ‘U a upp h h ha
there were no records of in the first century of Islam (n.d.a.). Yet the
recording of the history of this period is similar in many aspects to the recording
of the
For example, let us examine the T r k b Ja al-Taba wh 10 Hijra
( v hal a u y a h a h Bukh a h a u h p
the rightly guided caliphs. Although he makes use of written works of historians
u h Say b U a a W q u h his work based upon non written reports
(Khalidi, 1996: 74-80). Regarding the sources of his T r k Taba a :
“ hav l … l ly up wha ha b a by way
p …a a wh h a b h a a …K wl g f
p h h pa … a h h wh ha
w h … x p h ugh h a p …” ( ak
from Khalidi, 1996: 74)
The above statement regarding the methodology employed to ascertain the past
is similar to methodology employed by h la . a Taba ’
w u u h a Say b U a a W q al l h snā for
h a a v . Ba up h a a p a Pa w z’ a
regarding : “ a gl w ul b gua a hat it belonged to the
g ” h ul al b appl by h h b k h y.
Secondly Shaikh Mubarakpuri states that: “ h a ha h g ha
been written does not provide sufficient proof for its being authentic. The basic
foundation for trust is for reliability of the person or persons through whom a
p l v h a [wh h ] w ”.
(Mubarakpuri, 2005: 54)) In other words, a written document is not proof in
itself, for the author may have either been a liar, a person with a weak memory,
a person prone to scribal errors. On the other hand, an oral report from a
trustworthy individual, with a good memory is widely accepted, even in a court of
law.
a h a : “… h were no previous records that they [authors
of the k s ] ul hav b w h a al h ll ”
. T xa pl Bukh a u ‘Ab al-Razz q’ b k
entitled s nn (Abbott, 1967: 38). Motzki states that Abd al-Razz q p l
his s nn based upon written as well as oral material. His written sources
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lu b ‘Uyay a’ K ā l-J wā ’ ’ l-sunan wa-l- wā 11 (Motzki, 1991: 5).
b ‘Uyay a wa h a u a Zuh ’ u (Lu a 004: 1 9 a
was known for writing down the that h h a h a h . Zuh
turn was able to access documents written in the time of the Prophet from the
a g a h C pa ( a z 1977: 19 -4). He also narrated
ly pa u h a A a b l k wh w w from the
P ph ( a z 1977: 59 .
Th pu p h ab v ly u h a ha Bukh a h
contemporaries had no written records to base their works on, and secondly it
shows that c n n s wr n r ns ss n r B k ār ll w y
back to the Prophet existed. Th xa pl ab v h w Bukh --- Abd al-
Razz q--- b ‘Uyay a--- Zuh --- A a b l k wh “---” shows transmission
of written material. Abbott also gives an example of continuous written
tran ; Bukh --- Abd al-Razz q--- b ‘Uyay a--- a’ a b R h ---
Zuh --- A’ aj---Abū u a ah (Abb 1967: 8
3.5 Ignoring the Question
Pa w z ha a hap h a g l “ w u w p ay w h u ?”
However this chapter only addresses the differences in prayer among s nn s,
s ’ s, l and n s. Parwez states that each group declares that only
they are praying in accordance with the , and all the other groups are
mistaken. Hence, according to Parwez, cannot be used in understanding
how to pray. However, Parwez ignores his own question, choosing to respond to it
by criticising other groups. A more appropriate chapter heading would be
“ p ay h wh ll w ”.
The differences in prayer among the sunnis12 is not as great as Parwez would
have us believe. All sunni Muslims believe that there are five obligatory prayers in
a 24 hour period, they agree on the conditions for the prayer13, they agree on the
u b ak a h p ayer, and they agree on the rukn for each prayer14.
11
As well as Ibn Jurayj’s Ki āb al-Sunan, and ath-Thawrī’s al-Jāmi’al-kab r and al-Jāmi’al- a r, 12
The term sunni here is used in a general sense to mean ‘non-Shia’. 13
The conditions for the prayer are nine: Islam, Sanity, Reaching the age of maturity, lack of ritual
impurity, removal of filth, covering the awrah, the entrance of the proper time, facing the qiblah and
the intention. (taken from Muhmmad bin Abdil-Wahāb – “the conditions, pillars and requirements of
the prayer”) 14
The rukn (pillars) of the prayer are fourteen: standing, if one has the ability, the opening takbeer,
reciting Surah Al-Fatatihah, Rukoo, Rising from the Rukoo, Prostrating on all seven limbs, Rising from
the prostration, sitting between the two prostrations, remaining tranquil during these pillars,
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Parwez claims that has caused disunity among Muslims, using the
differences in prayer as an example. If adherence to causes disunity, then
abandonment of should lead to unity (acc g h u a yū .
However, the Quraniyun differ on the number of obligatory prayers in a day. The
founder of the Quraniyun, Abdullah Chakrawalvi states that five daily prayers are
obligatory15. Another group state that three daily prayers are obligatory16 but
they differ as to which three prayers are obligatory, the group headed by
Khawaja Ibaadullah Akhtat believe in two daily prayers, and the group headed by
Madhupuri in India believe in six daily prayers17!
3.6 Incorrect Inference
Parwez argues that the biography of the Prophet should be rewritten using two
u ; h u ’ a h wh h a h u ’
“fantazise h g ’ ha a ” ( . . .
The scholars of agree that any ha a h u ’
rejected (Azami, 1977: 7 . A “ a az [ g h g ’ ha a ”
assume that it refers to exaggerating the status of the Messenger beyond that of
a human being. Such are rejected based upon the matn alone without
need to even consider the snā .
However Parwez has made an incorrect inference; that if the does not
a h u ’ h ul b a p . Th a hu ,
wh h al h ugh a h u ’ a j u h snā having
a break in it, or containing a person who is disparaged.
For example, the weak : “Fa and you will be healthy18”. Not only does
this statement not a h u ’ bu u w h al a . Y
cannot be declared to be the statement of the Prophet due to the snā containing
an unreliable person.
maintaining the same sequence, the final tashahhud, sitting for it, sending salaat on the Prophet, the
final two tasleems. 15
Chakrawalvi’s tafseer of Qur’ān volume one, page 112. 16
the Quraniyun group in Gujranwala, Pakistan and Badayun, India 17
This information was taken from Shaikh Safi-ur-Rehman Mubarakpuri 18
Shaikh Saleem al-Hilaalee declares this to be weak in the book ‘Fasting in Ramadan’ due to the
presence of Zuhair ibn Muhammad. Aboo Haatim said about Zuhair ibn Muhammad, ‘ there is some
weakness in his memory’.
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Pa w z’ a a p g a in sirah contradicts his earlier
statements in which he states that none of the that have reached us today
are authentic, and cannot be considered to be part of the n.
3.7 i interpretation of Qur’ ni ver e
Parwez translates the following verse:
“A a h p pl wh a buy g the occupation of (l ū l- ,
so they may deviate others from the path of Allah. And make it ludicrous. Hellfire
is awaiting them19.” ( . .b. .
According to Parwez, the verse is evidence that is used to lead people
astray (n.d.b). A literal translation of the verse is:
“A h u h a buy the distraction of talk to lead astray from
Allah’ way w h u k wl g a ak h j . Su h h y hall
hav a pu h ba g” (‘Al 00 : 1 1 .
The misinterpretation is of the underlined section; l ū l- . In the
a la h Ta b Ka h l ū l- is translated as idle talk (Ibn
Ka h v lu v 000: 570 . b Ka h h qu b a’ ū wh a
“ h by Allah – g g” ( b Ka h v lu v 000: 570 .
Parwez makes a number of mistakes in translating the above verse. Firstly he
fails to distinguish between the linguistic meaning of a word, and its s r ’
meaning, applying the latter instead of the former. Linguistically, means
“ p h alk a a ” (‘Al 00 : 1 1 . al a “ w r recent as
19
Luqmān 31:6
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pp l ” (Ah a 1997: 59 . Th s r ’ meaning of was given in
2.7.1.
Th ll w g xa pl ak ‘Al 00 a ha h u ’ h
word is only used in its linguistic sense, and not according to the s r ’
meaning.
1) “ a h y u h (story) of Musa20”
2) “Th wh h (message) after this will they believe in?21”
3) “… h wha h a w h h p pl h y a l
understanding any 22 (w ”
If Parwez was to use the word in its s r ’ sense in any of the above
examples, it would contradict his hypothesis that is something
blameworthy. In the third example, Allah admonishes those who do not
understand any .
20
Sūra ā Hā, 20:9 21 Sūra Al-A’rāf 7:185 22
Sūra Al-Nisā 4: 78
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Chapter 4
e on tru tion of a th
a re-evaluation’
4.1 Introduction
Ka Ah a ’ b k ‘ , a re- valua ’ wa a la h alay
original in 1997. The quality of English in the translation is good. The book
consists of just over 38,000 words. In his introduction, he states that the works
of Rashad Khalifa greatly influenced his views on .
Ahmad, like Khalifa talks about the golden age of Islam, an age when Muslims
ll w h u ’ . Bu w h h g came the downfall of the
Muslims (Ahmad, 1997). Ahmad states that the aim of the book is to prove that
h au “ u y a ba kwa a g u l ” (Ah a
1997). Although not explicitly stated, the intended audience of the book are
Muslim students, academics and activists.
4.2 General Comments
The book has a table of contents, and introduction, a conclusion and a
bibliography. The introduction clearly lays at the aim of the book. There are five
chapters, all with sub headings, and an appendix. All the heading and sub
headings revolve around the key theme of the book. The book is organised in a
logical way, making it easy to read.
p v ha la ba up h u ’ al h au h
refutes and sunna as a concept, he then argues that very few were
preserved due to their late recording and fabrications.
Page 19 of 109
4.3 Contradictions within the book
4.3.1. Ahmad believes that are an innovation in Islam. However, he clearly
contradicts himself when discussing the origin of the concept of . He first
states that the theory of the sunna as a primary source of law came 200 years
after the P ph ’ a h.
“Y a y… al z ha h ba h ju p u al h y wa
p ulga w hu y a a uh a a ' a h by h a u
jurist Imam Shafi`i23”.
Later, this is revised to 300 years.
“A ab u h hu y a x a u ha ul a h g
augh by P ph uh a a bu k ll ully a bu h g a ually
ga a h l h u l u y … Th l gy… p ly
the ”.
A few pages later, he opts for 250 years.
“A ga h u l uh a a b ugh h h u a … bu
uh a a … h y v ak uh a a b g w
books and, after bitter quarrels, they legislated, two hundred and fifty
years later, that Muslims must uphold not only the Quran but also the
”
Finally Ahmad decides that the concept of was a process which began 100
A.H and was completed 500 A.H.
“Th p ha g u l b l h u a h , or
the Quran and , with the actually overshadowing the Quran
did not occur within a short period or smoothly. It took a period of about
four to five centuries, beginning from the second and lasting in the sixth
u y la ”.
4.3.2. Ahmad claims that there is a direct correlation between adherence to the
u ’ al a h p l al a ll ual u h u l . Th
downfall of “ h g a a al ll ual a p ual v l za a ha
23
All of the references in this chapter are from Ahmad, 1997. Due to it being an internet downloaded
book, no page numbers are given.
Page 20 of 109
” b ga 00 y a a h P ph ” [ . . a 9 ] wh u l a
following . However he later states that:
“ h u l …p a v y la h u h
h h ugh h l v h” ( . . 800 -1200 A.H)
The first statement claims that the political and intellectual downfall of the
Muslims began in approximately 932 C.E. This contradicts the second statement
which claims that the period from 800 to 1200 C.E was one of intense
(intellectual) creativity.
4.3.3. Ahmad states that:
“ h ha h u l u y … ically re-evaluate the
whole heritage of traditional Islamic thought including theology and
ju p u … Th ha h u a h h a al
pl ”.
Ahmad describes the a “ x a u ha ul a h g ” a “a al
a h g a bu P ph uha a ”. S a g h au h h
traditional Islamic thought was and always has been antithetical to the true
Islam. But this is contradicted by his assertion that:
“ h a al ula wa a by h y … ha a a
w h h k wl g … and conforming to needs of that time” ( y al .
If the traditional formulation, (at the core of which was ), was conforming
to the needs of that time, then adherence to at that time was entirely
justified. Hence to describe a a “ x a u ha ul a h g ”
incorrect.
4.3 4. Ahmad refers to, al-Ghazzal b Ru h[ ] b Tay ya a Shah
Wal yullah a “g a ph l ph a h la ” a Taba a a h
“ a u h a …[wh ] ak h u l v l za ju ly a u ”. Y
these scholars strongly defended the concept of , and their books are
replete with ; which according to Ah a a “ al a h g a bu
P ph uh a a ”. F xa pl u a g al pa Taba ’
h l gy u ’ x g a h y. By g h p
, the author is implicitly condemning those who uphold and promote this
concept. Yet at the same time he is praising these same scholars.
Page 21 of 109
4.4 Mistakes of Fact
4.4.1 Ahmad states that disunity within the Ummah is due to citing the
Iran-Iraq war, and the civil wars in Lebanon as examples. However the factors
leading to these wars were political / economic (and in Lebanon inter and intra
religious rivalry) and were unrelated to the issue of .
4.4.2 Ahmad states that the Mutazilites h Sh ’ b l v ha h
u ’ qu he to explain it. Thus the criticism and rejection of
is nothing new. There is no doubt that the Mutazilites j Sh ’ ’
theory of pa ula Sh ’ ’ a l a y a a . w v h y
did not reject the concept of sunna and . What they rejected was any
which went against their concept of sound reason and logic, as well as any
solitary narrations.
4.4. Ah a a “Th v y " h P ph ' u a" wa v u by h
Prophet himself and did not emerge until the sixth and seventh decades after the
P ph ”.
If none of the statements of the Prophet can be vouched for, then it is
meaningless to state that the word "sunna" was never used by the Prophet, as
there is no way of establishing the veracity of this statement. Secondly section
2.5. a ha h ‘sunna’ wa k w u h a l ha Ah a
claims.
4.5 Incorrect Analogies
Ah a a ha : “S a ab u ha wh l ula Eu p b a h
liberalism or Marxism, the Muslim world embraced the …”.
This analogy is clearly false. Liberalism and Marxism were European reactions
against religion24. h h ha v w a p h au h ’
contention that it was an innovation, was not a reaction against religion, but
considered a part of the religion.
24
See: Khan: Jaliluddin Ahmad.(1982) Contemporary Atheistic Materialism – A Reaction to Orthodox
Christainity. Karachi: International Islamic Publishers. In this book, the author explains that atheistic
materialism of Europe was a natural reaction against the anti-science and anti-reason attitude fostered
by the Church.
Page 22 of 109
Chapter 5
e on tru tion of Qur’ n a th an
I la ’
5.1. Introduction
This book by Rashad Khalifa a p v ha h u ’ h l u
guidance and legislation in Islam (Khalifa, 2001:7). The entire book revolves
a u h h . Th P ph ’ l wa v y h u ’ a h
wa b a y u a h ha h u ’ ( 001:4 . Khal a j
the very concept of and sunna stating that they were invented after the
demise of the Prophet (2001: 8). Khalifa then brings a historical perspective; the
w w hu y a a h P ph ’ a h a h va
majority are fabrications. Hence, even for those Muslims who accept the concept
of , there is no way of ascertaining their authenticity.
Th b k a 1 046 w . Ou h 580 ( 0% v h Khal a’
u qu h y h a h a al a l h u ’ . T Khal a h
physical evidence of the d v a u u ’ .
5.2. General Comments
The book is written in a first person narrative. The text is very often emotive and
pl w h h al qu xa pl : “ y u b l v G ” a
“Wh k p alk g ab u G al h a y y u?” ( 001:89 . Th
a a y w p g g al a ; “ h aj y b l v a g g h ll”
((2001:52)
Th au h b k a g h au h “all h k g
p pl ” ( 001: 1 . w v g v ha h au hor assumes the Qu ’
revelation from God, the book is primarily intended for a Muslim audience.
Khal a ak x v u h u ’ v upp h a gu ;
h 016 w 44% w w u ’ v . Th au h ’
arguments are very repetitive. A number of phrases are used throughout the
Page 23 of 109
b k. Th ph a “ u ’ al ” u “ ully a l ” (
h u ’ app a gh “ ly u l g u gu a ”
app a x “ h g bu u ’ ” app a . “ h g b
god (in reference to following ) appears six times.
The book is not organised logically, making it difficult to read. There is no table of
contents, introduction to the book or bibliography. The preface merely states the
key theme of the book; that is an innovation, without explaining how he
intends to refute the concept of . The author is an academic; the title of
PhD is mentioned after his name. However, it is clear from his work that his
knowledge of Islam is sketchy.
Each chapter heading is used by Khalifa to state an opinion. These chapter
h a g a h ll w by a u b u ’ v wh h a u a
proof for the chapter heading. However many verses are either mistranslated, or
misinterpreted.
5.3 i tran lation of Qur’ ni Ver e
I will give three examples of this:
5.3.1 “ A E EVER UTTERE ANY OT ER REL G OUS UTTERANCES25
(attributed to us), we would have punished him severely, then we would
have stopped the revelation to him (fired him) "(69:44-46 ” ( 001: 4 .
Th ap al a h au h . A g Khal a “Th v y l a v a h
u ha uh a a wa b u g a y l g u a h g b
u ’ ”. V y u p u b l w.
Walaw taq ww l ‘ l ynā ’ l- q w l
w ll w pa Khal a’ a la w h h w ll k w a la .
“ a h v u a y h l g u u a (a bu u .” (Khal a
25
All capitals are the authors
Page 24 of 109
“A h ha g a al ay g g U ”. (Yū u ‘Al a . Taq -ud-
Din al-Hilali)
“A h ha a up ab u U al ( ay g ” (Sah h a al
Th v ha b a la by Khal a. Th w aquwwul a “ alk
u u g p” a “ h l g u u a ” ( a W h ictionary). Ibn
Ka h xpla h v by ay g ha h P ph ha v g a y
of the Message, as claimed by his opponents, then Allah would have certainly
pu h h (Ka h v lu 151 . h v
statem h ha h u ’ bu al ly a bu g a Allah.
5.3.2 “C qu ly wh y u p a h y u L Q r’ān l n , they run
away av ” ( 001: 9 h ul a :
“A wh y u y u Lord alone h u ’ 26…” (Sah h ternational)
The verse is reproduced below.
The mistranslated portion of the verse is wa-itha thakarta rabbaka lq rāni
wahdahu
In this portion of the verse, the word rabbaka is accusative because it is the
object of the preceding verb. The word lq rān g v a h p p ‘ ’
precedes it. Now the adjective wahdahu must agree in case, gender, number and
definiteness with the noun that it qualifies (Faynan, 1999: 38). Wahdahu is
accusative (due to the fathah on the dal) whereas alq rān is genitive. Hence the
latter cannot be qualified by wahdahu. Both wahdahu and rabbaka are singular,
masculine, definite, and accusative hence rabbaka is qualified by wahdahu. Hence
h v “L al ” a “ u ’ al ”.
5.3.3 “… or disobey you when you are right…” ( 001: 14
26
Al-Isrār 17:46
Page 25 of 109
Th v h ul a a “ b y y u what is right27”. (Sah h
International).
Th pl a Khal a’ a la ha h P ph alway gh ;
“ uh a a h g hall b b y ONLY F E S R G T” ( 001: 14
5.4 i interpretation of Qur’ ni Ver e
Examples of misinterpreting the verses are numerous. I will give one example.
Khal a a ha ll w g a y u h ha h u ’ a a u
setting up partners in worship with God (2001:3). His evidence for this is the
following verse:
"… However, you certainly bear witness that you set up other gods beside God
(by upholding other sources beside Quran). Say, 'I will never do what you are
doing; I disown your idol worship28.'" (Khalifa, 2001:7). The verse is given below.
Th a la h v : “ y u v ly b a w ha b
Allah h a h g ” a h a a w h h ga v pa l
27
Surah Mumtahinah 60:12 28
Sūra Al –An’ām 6:19
Page 26 of 109
It is clear from the context of this verse that it refers to associating partners. أ
w h Allah w h p. Ev w w a p Khal a’ ( a la
this verse, by no stretch of the imagination does it equate following of sources
oth ha h u ’ ( . . h ) with idol worship. This is one of many
examples in which Khalifa re- p v h u ’ l gh h
opinions.
5.5 Contradictions within the book
The book also contains many contradictions. For example Khalifa states
p a ly ha h u ’ h sole source of guidance (my italics) and the
acceptance of any other sources is shirk (2001: 7). But he is aware that the
details of the prayer, z kā a h l g u a h u ’ . T
explain how one performs these rites, Khalifa comes up with a novel answer; all
h va u hav u v a Ab aha ( 001: 40 . a : “Thu
Islam in its final form, as is practiced today, is based on two things: (1) QURAN:
contributed h ugh uh a a a ( REL G OUS PRACT CES: h ugh
Ab aha ” ( 001: 40 . w v h a h a ha h
u ’ h l u gu a .
5.6 Mistakes of Historical Fact
The book contains a number of historical inaccuracies. I will state three of these:
5.6.1 Mistake One:
Khalifa states that disbelievers of Arabia established five daily prayers, but would
h b ah y F ha a h u ’ F ha ( 001: 15 . Th
historical evidence for either of these statements.
5.6.2 Mistake Two:
Khal a ha p b ah h ll w h P ph w
primitive that they were not required to perform any religious practices. All that
was required of them was to believe in God alone (2001: 46).
Page 27 of 109
b ah wa b h y U a h h gh h Chal a y a y
(Hussain, 1997: 47) during the third dynasty of Ur which lasted from 2112 –
004 BC (Pa 1974: 1 . al a u ’ u h w ha a y p -
Abrahamic peoples were far from primitive. A number of examples will
demonstrate this:
5.6. .1. R ga g P ph “ b h q ha wa h
w w h a p . wa al v w h 08 y a A a ’ l ” ( ak Ga
2000:27).
5.6.2.2. Th p pl Tha ū wh P ph S al h wa w a u
their great architecture, carving great buildings out of mountains. They also had
agriculture (Hussain, 1997:29).
5.6.2.3. Hawkes states that between 3000 – 000 BC ( . . b b ah ,the
Egyptians had used ships for trade, established a calendar, developed
sophisticated techniques in agriculture, and had built a number of the famous
pyramids. In Mesopotamia, deliberate research led to the use of bronze (a
mixture of copper and tin). Bronze was a workable metal led to better tools,
vehicles, and boats (Hawkes, 1976; 87-110). Hence, advanced civilisations
x b b ah .
Th ha p b ah h p pl w ly qu b l v
God alone is also incorre . Th u ’ ha N ah a h p pl :
“O y p pl w h p Allah h h g bu h 29”.
The people of Noah were called to worship God alone, and not as Khalifa argues,
to believe in God alone. They already believed in God, but gave a share of their
worship to other than God. Secondly, given that they were called to worship God,
then by implication this worship must have had certain rituals. Hence, contrary to
Khal a’ a h p pl N ah were required to perform certain religious
practices.
29
Surah al-Mu’minūn
Page 28 of 109
5.6.3 Mistake Three:
Khalifa states that:
“ a l g a h u l Ummah upheld Quran, and nothing but Quran,
h u l … v l a gl ba l . W h h app a a &
Sunna at the beginning of the third century AH, a progressive
deterioration of the Muslim Ummah b ga . S … [ h ]... h " u l "
v w a gl ba l ” ( 001: 76
The statement that since the beginning of the third century the Muslims never
won a single battle clearly contradicts historical facts. Many important battles
that occurred well after 200 H. Between 900 and 1300 C.E most of India was
conquered, as was (modern day) Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Sudan, most of
modern day Turkey, From 1300 to 1500 C.E, Constantinople was conquered (in
1453), as was southern India and many of the southern Russian republics
(Lapidus, 2002:198).
Page 29 of 109
Chapter 6
Summary of key themes
Table one outlines the themes h u ’a yū wh h u a l a w h
three books:
Table One: Key Themes One.
Theme Parwez Khalifa Ahmad
1 Sole function of the Prophet was to
l v h u ’
2 xpla h u ’
3 is not (unrecited) revelation
4 “Hikmah” a Sunna or
5 V a g ha “ h g l u ”
h u ’ .
6 No methodology for preservation of
7 Prophet prohibited recording of
8 No previous records before Bukh
9 The huge numbers of in the era
Bukh a u abl
10 Bukh h aj y h
600,000
11 Huge number of fabrications made it
impossible to sift out the authentic
12 Isnā system a later invention
13 Bu g w by Abū Bak
a ‘U a
14 F ll w “Allah a g ”
a “ ll w Allah a h Cal ph”
“ab by h h al
au h y”
15 All religious practices are from Abraham
Page 30 of 109
Table two outlines the themes which occur in only one of the books.
Table Two: Key Themes Two.
Theme Parwez Khalifa Ahmad
1
6
The Prophet forbidden from uttering any
l g u a h g b u ’
1
7
u ’ h ly u l g u
teaching
1
8
Concept of v by Sha ’
1
9
“Ob y h g ” ly a l g a
he was alive
2
0
began with the story tellers
2
1
No acceptable criteria for selection of
by Bukh
2
2
Statements transmitted orally are
unreliable
The themes can be broadly divided into two categories; epistemological – relating
to the concept of the sunna, and historical – relating to the history of the
preservation and compilation of . The theory that emerges from the above
themes is twofold:
1) The concept of the Prophetic sunna is a later invention, unknown to the
Prophet or his Companions,
2) The recording of the began in the third century, by which time, due
to widespread fabrication as well as the ravages of time, it was impossible
to vouch for their authenticity.
Due to word limitation, the research will not examine all twenty two themes and
will instead prioritize between them. Themes 1-5, and 14-19 are concerned with
the concept of the sunna. I decided to choose themes 1-5, 14 and 15.
Themes 6-13 and 20-22 address the history of . Themes 6-13 were chosen
for this research.
Page 31 of 109
Among the themes chosen, many of the arguments used by the authors are
similar; however there are some important differences as well. For example
whereas Khalifa holds that no can be ever used, Ahmad and Parwez accept
that a ha a h u ’ a ay b a p 30.
Also the three authors differ on the emphasis they give to various themes. It is
beyond the scope of this research to examine these two issues; this as an area of
further research. For the sake of brevity, I have limited the number of references
taken from the three books.
F h ak abb v a Ka Ah a w ll b a ‘Ah a ’.
30
Although all three authors reject the legal authority of a ,
Page 32 of 109
Chapter 7
Examination of Key Themes
7.1 Sole function of the Prophet was to deliver the Qu ’
xpla h u ’
7.2 is not (unrecited) revelation
7.3 Hikmah” a Su a
7.4 V a g ha “ h g l u ” h u ’
7.5 All religious practices are from Abraham
7.6 No methodology for preservation of and
Recording of prohibited by the Prophet
7.7 Bu g w by Abū Bak a ‘U a ( ay Allah b pl a
with them)
7.8 N p v u b Bukh
7.9 The huge numbers of h a Bukh a u abl
7.10 Bukh h aj y h 600 000
7.12 Huge number of fabrications made it impossible to sift out the authentic
Isnā system a later invention.
7.12 F ll w “Allah a g ” a “ ll w Allah a h Cal ph”
“ab by h h al au h y”
Page 33 of 109
7.1 Sole function of the Prophet was to deliver the
Qur’ n
oe not explain the Qur’ n
I will examine the above two themes together. Throughout this work, I will use
the word sunna and interchangeably. They are defined as “ h a
actions, and tacit approvals of the Prophet, after he received revelation, but not
lu g h u ’a 31”
Regarding the first theme (sole function of the Prophe wa l v h u ’
Khal a a : “R p a ly h u a pl y " h ubl ga v "
emphasize that Muhammad had NO function EXCEPT delivering Quran: "You have
NO u y EXCEPT l v g ( u a " (4 :48 ” ( 001:
Ah a a : “Th l P ph uh a a wa l v h v
ag h u ’ ” (1997:4
Regarding the second theme xpla h u ’ Ah a :
“A ga xpla g a p g h u a u a a a
historical evidence have shown that it is not given to Prophet Muhammad or to
a y ub qu a h ully a all a . Th u a … a all b
understood fully, except through a prolonged process of rational understanding
a u ” (1997: 14)
Pa w z a : “ does not explain the whole of the Holy Quran. Only a few
ayats of the Quran have been explained. In the Bukhari there is only one
chapter devoted to the explanation of the Quran and that too of a few significant
aya h u ’ ” Pa wez then goes on to state that the authenticity of
these cannot be vouched for. Chapter 1, Part 2, page 10-11.
31
La ’ sunna “a way u ul a a g u l h l k …
wh h g ba …a way ha ha b u pu u by p pl ”. h al
sense, sunna ha a u b a g . Th g v by l gal h “ h
statements, action a a app val h P ph a h v v la bu lu g
h u ’a ” Th la w ll b u h pu p h a . a th is any report
of the sunna consisting of a text (matn) and chain of transmis ( . h u a a
h a h a ha g abl a h u a a w h h au h h a h.
Page 34 of 109
Reply to 7.1
w ll a ha a l v g h u ’ h u
the Prophet was to explain the Qu ’ . h xpla h u ’ .
Th u ’ u h b l ha h l u h P ph wa l v
h u ’ . Th P ph ha u a l ; “ xpla h u ’
independent legislator, perfect example and object of ob ”. These four
a l a b p v h u ’ l . w v w ll ly u h
l ; xpla h u ’ .
The following two verses demonstrate that the role of the Messenger was not
l v g h u ’ :
“He is it He Who has sent among the unlettered ones, a Messenger from
among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and
teaching them the Book and the Hikmah. And verily, they had been
before in manifest error32”.
In this verse, four distinct roles are mentioned:
Reciting the verses
Purifying the believers
Teaching of the Book.
Teaching the Hikmah.
Th l h P ph wa h v h u ’ h
believers. About this point this is no disagreement or ambiguity. Secondly, the
Messenger was to purify them from idolatry and sins. The third role of Messenger
wa “ a h g h b k”. Th pa a ly “ g h v ”.
a a h v h u ’ h g wa
also ordered to teach the meaning of these verses. When the Prophet received
revelation, he would convey this to his Companions and explain it through his
statements and his actions (Azami, 1995: 8-9). The statements and actions of
the Prophet are known as the sunna and are preserved in the authentic
The second verse is:
32
Sūra Jumu’a 62:2
Page 35 of 109
“And We have also sent down to you the Dhikr (Qur’ n) so that you may
explain clearly to men what is sent down to them33”.
The italicised section clearly demonstrates that the Messenger had a role vis a vis
h u ’ ; l a ly xpla h u ’ . xpla a h u ’ wa n
two ways: either directly by mentioning a verse and then explaining it, or
teaching a matter regarding a verse (s)of the Quran without directly making
reference to the relevant verse. Thu a y h b l h u ’a yū
the role of the Prophe wa l v g h u ’ bu lu
xpla g h u ’ h h xpla h u ’ .
a h a a la g u b v ha h b l v ‘ b y
h g ’. h v b he Messenger is mentioned
al g b Allah. F xa pl “A b y Allah a h g
that you may be blessed34”. Th ph a “Ob y Allah a h g ” u
at least nine verses35, the reward for obeying Allah and His Messenger occurs in
at least seven verses36
In v y v h u ’ wh h ‘ b y Allah’ a ll w by a
a b y h g . Th a gl v h u ’
which obedience to Allah is mentioned alone. This to emphasise that obedience of
Allah is not possible except through obedience to the Messenger. However there
a v h u ’ wh h b h g ha b
al . . w h u g b Allah. F xa pl : “A
you obey him, you shall find the right path37”38 In this case, obedience to the
g pl b Allah a Allah a : “A wh v b y h
Messenger, indeed obeys Allah39”.
The command to obey the Messenger, which is either mentioned alongside
Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, An in r uc i n e c nser a i n f a in li f a a f
Hammān ibn Munabba page 45-6
Page 58 of 109
7. One of the strongest evidences for the early recording of is the l-
l a b u abbah ( 101 . wa a u Abu
Huraryah who dictated 138 narrations to him. Almost the entire collection is in
Musnad Ahmed a w ll a Bukh a u l . A az gly h x a ll
was discovered by Dr. Hamidullah and has been translated into English.
In his book Studies in Early Literature, Azami mentions fifty Companions
and forty nine first century scholars who wrote .Many of these
companions had their own personal note books containing . These include:
K b Sa’ b Ub a107 (d15H)
K b u’ h b Jabal108 (d18H)
K b Abū R 109
Ku ub Abū u ay a ( 59H). He showed his large collection of
b k a a b ‘A b U ayya a - a 110 and to Ibn Wahb111
As well as the , there was other written material in the time of the Prophet
(sallahu alaihi wa sallam). These include the constitution of Madina, the Census in
1H112, treaties with various tribes, letters to kings, correspondence with Jews and
instructions to governors (Hamidullah, 2003: 20-6, et al).
7.6.7 Reconciling the in Sahih Muslim with the
evidence above.
The previous section demonstrates the overwhelming evidence that were
written in the time of the Prophet with his approval. In light of this, scholars have
interpreted the - “D n wr wn ny n r xc p Q r’ n,
n w v r ny n r r n Q r’ n s l r s ” in a
number of ways.
1) The prohibition only applied in the early days of Islam for fear of confusion
b w v h u ’a a h . When this fear was alleviated, the
command was abrogated and the people were permitted to write 113 . Ibn
107
Shāfi’ī, Ki āb al-Umm, vii, p112 108
Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffā , i, p19-20 109
Kha īb al Bagdādī, Al-Kifāya f ‘Ilm ar-Riwiya, page 39 110
Ibn ‘Abdul Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān al’ilm i, page 74 111
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bar , i, page 148 112
Bukhārī 113
Siba’i, as-Sunna wa makāna a u a f as r al-Islam page 72 and Khatīb al Bagdādi, Taqy al-Ilm
Page 59 of 109
u ayba b Tay yah a Ah Sh k a the opinion that the is
abrogated
2) Some scholars states that the prohibition was meant for companions who were
not well trained in the art of writing and not to those who were conversant in
writing114 Ibn Quttayba mentions this opinion.
3) The p h b appl w g h u ’ a on the same sheet for
fear of confusion between the two115. Th u ’ wa ll h p b g
revealed and the text was still incomplete. If both were written on the same
sheet, there was a dang ha h u ’ ul b u w h h P ph ’
own words, especially given that he (salalahu alaihi wa sallam) was the noble
u hp b h u ’ a .
Finally when we examine the full text of the qu by h u ’a yū we
find that it refutes their view that the statements of the Prophet were not to be
preserved. The full text of the in sl : “ w w
a y h g x p h u ’a a wh v ha a y h g h
ha h u ’a should erase it. Narrate to others, and whoever deliberately
attributes a lie to me, he should prepare his seat in the Fir ” . After prohibiting
writing the , the Prophet encouraged the preservation of his by
narrating it.
In conclusion, the prohibition of writing was neither permanent nor
general. This is further evidenced by the fact that the Prophet wished to dictate
something at his death bed; this would not have occurred if the ban was
permanent.
114
Ajjāl al Khatīb, As-sunna qabl at- a w n page 308 115
Subhi, lūm al- a wa Mus ala u ū page 20
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7.7 Burning of written re or by Abū Bakr an
U ar (may Allah be pleased with them)
7.7.1 Burning of re or by Abū Bakr
It is reported that both Abū Bak a U a a Cal ph had written collections of
burnt. As we will demonstrate, their individual motives for doing so were
different, and their actions cannot be interpreted as an opposition to the
preservation of the sunna, nor as prove that no written existed in their
time.
Parwez quotes the following narration from al- hahab 116 ga g Abū Bak :
"The wife of the Messenger mentions that her father (Hazrat Abu Bakr) had
collected the s of the Messenger which were five hundred in number. She
says, 'One night I noticed that my father was restless in his bed and was very
perturbed. I asked him if he was in some bodily pain or was this condition due to
any bad news that he might have heard? He did not answer my question. In the
morning he asked me to bring him the collection of s and then he made a
bonfire of them all” (Pa w z Chapter 1, Part 1, page 5-6).
Firstly although Parwez quotes the above narration from al- hahab h ails to
mention that al- hahab declares the narration to be false117. Azami also
mentions that a number of other scholars have criticised the snā of this
narration. He further questions the authenticity based upon the matn; given the
l la h p b w h P ph a Abū Bak why w ul h la
intermediaries to narrate from the Prophet? 118.
Secondly, Parwez only quoted part of the narration. The same narration also
h a why Abū Bak ha h ll burnt. Parwez
chose not to mention this.
“… [A ha – h augh Abū Bak ] a k ‘Why y u bu ?’ [Abū
Bak ] pl : ‘ a ha h ul leaving this book behind and it should
116
From Tadhkirat al-Huffā 117
Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffā , 1:5 118
al-Azami, M. Mustafa. (1992). S u ies in Early Ha Li era ure, page 34
Page 61 of 109
contain a related by a person who in my opinion may have been
trustworthy and meriting confidence but in reality the narration should not have
been as he related it, and I should have reproduced it only to be proved later to
b . A G k w b ’119 ”
A u g h a a wa au h h a why Abū Bak ha h
collection of five hundred burnt was due to his fear that it may have
contained inauthentic narrations from men who were not as trustworthy as first
seemed. It was not, as Parwez claims, because the Messenger had banned the
writing of (in order to ensure the only h u ’ wa p v .
a h a ha Abū Bak ha h p a w ll tion of
u h hyp h ha h P ph ’ ba w g was
p a . Abū Bak ’ bu g was to preserve the sunna by
preventing inauthentic narrations from entering into it.
Abū Bak w ul b h h u ’ a One of the first issues that
the Muslims had to resolve following the death of the Prophet was concerning the
pla h P ph ’ bu al. Abū Bak lv h by qu g h ;
‘Wh v a P ph h wa bu wh h ied120
7.7.2 Burning of re or by U ar
Parwez states two narrations:
1) "OmarR (sic) wanted to compile the sayings and parables of the Messenger. He
asked from the companions of Messenger MuhammadPBUH to grant him a
decree, to which they faithfully conceded. Inspite of the companions consent
Hazrat OmarR was not convinced. For complete one month Hazrat OmarR
performed Istekhara. .. then he said I thought about the generations that have
passed before us, who wrote books and adhered to those books so strongly that
they forgot the Book of Allah. I swear upon Allah, I will not let the word of Allah
be amalgamated with other words."
119
Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffā , 1:5 120
Tirmidhi and Sirah Ibn Hishām, 2:661
Page 62 of 109
2) On the same page he adds: "During Hazrat Omar's caliphate the were
in abundance. .. He then ordered to make a public bonfire of those s"
(Parwez, Chapter 1, Part 1, page 5).
Parwez concludes that the reason why Umar did not compile the but
rather, ordered the burning of the wa “b au h g ha
ordered every companion not to ask him to dictate anything else besides the
u ’ ” Pa w z Chap 1 Pa 1 pag 5 .
About the first narration Azami states that it is mursal as Urwah bin Zubayr did
not hear directly from Umar, and hence the narration cannot be regarded as
authentic121 . w v a u b h la h a a lu g ‘Ab
al-Razz q a -Sa a Kha b al Bag 122
w a u h a a au h a ually p v Pa w z’
hyp h . h P ph ’ a ‘ a a y h g l b ides the
u ’ ’ wa p a h ‘U a w ul hav pla h av u
in the first place, nor would the Companions have given their approval to it. When
‘U a gav h a y g h , he mentioned his own j ā
and not any Prophetic . If the prohibitive were applicable in this
ua vabl ha ‘U a w ul g v h w p a a
where a clear existed.
Wha h wa h a why ‘U a aga y g h a and
why did he order the burning of written collections of ? ‘U a was
concerned that a written collection of gh p w h h u ’ . Th
u ’ wa ll a la v ly w p la a h wa u l g v
undue importance to the v a ab v h u ’ . w v h did
wish to preserve the , but decided against its official codification, due to
h p al ha ay au h u ’ 123 Using his j ā , he decided that
the benefits of codification would be outweighed by the potential harm.
‘U a wa a av u w g . a ; “P v k wl g
books124”. Th u h v by h a ha h w ul qu
121
al-Azami, M. Mustafa. (1992). S u ies in Early Ha Li era ure page 57 122
Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, An intro uc i n e c nser a i n f a in li f a a f
Hammān ibn Munabba page 39 123 Al-Siba’i, as-Sunna wa makāna a u a f as r al-Islam page 63 124 Kha īb al Bagdādī, Taqy al-Ilm, page 88, and Ibn ‘Abdul Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān al’ilm 1: 72
Page 63 of 109
in his official letters125, and had a written document regarding taxation and other
financial matters126. Wh Abū Bak wa gh h wh u pay
zakah, Umar responded with a to justify his position (that as long as they
said the testification of faith, they were not to be fought)127.
Fu h v ha ‘U a referred to is as follows:
U a a k h p lg ga g bl y ah h k b
Su y a ha h P ph ha w h g h g v
h w A hya al- b b h h ha h hu ba ’ bl
money. Umar then judged accordingly128.
Regarding the Magians, Umar accepted jizya h ly a Ab u -
Rah b ‘Au h h l va 129.
A final example is incident that occurred on his journey Sy a. O u
h wa ha a plagu ha b k u Sy a. U a h
ul h pa wh a wh h h y h ul p
Sy a u a a. Th pu wa ly lv wh Ab u -
Rah b ‘Au a a a from the Prophet which stated that one
was not to travel to a place where an epidemic had broken out.
The statement of Parwez: "During Hazrat Omar's caliphate the were in
abu a …” al p v h a ha h P ph ba the writing of
. (unless the were written by the Companions in direct opposition